It’s Probably Time to Clean Your Garbage Disposal—Here’s How

Here's how often you should really be cleaning it.

The garbage disposal is one kitchen appliance that’s all too easy to overlook in terms of routine cleaning. Unlike your oven or your dishwasher, it’s not a device you necessarily use or even notice on a daily basis, so in many homes, the disposal doesn’t command attention until there’s a problem with it. Or a problematic odor coming from within it.

However, as is the case with many matters of home hygiene, prevention is the best medicine when it comes to your garbage disposal. Regular cleanings will prevent detrimental (a.k.a. gunky) build-up, keeping the disposal functioning at its best and stopping serious stink from forming.

How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Garbage Disposal?

The frequency of your cleanings should be determined by how often you use your garbage disposal. If grinding food in the disposal is a normal part of your daily kitchen life—as in, you’re running your garbage disposal daily or every other day—you should aim to clean it weekly. For those who use the disposal regularly, but not exactly at a daily frequency, cleaning it every two weeks is fine. And if you only put food “down the drain” every so often, you can commit to a disposal cleaning just once per month.

That said, use your senses as you establish the right cleaning cadence for your kitchen, Indicators that your garbage disposal is overdue for a cleaning include atypical noises when you run the disposal and unpleasant odors.

How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal

The good news is, cleaning your garbage disposal isn’t an especially arduous (or gross!) chore, as long as you’re doing so regularly. Better still, you don’t need any special equipment or cleaning products to sanitize and deodorize your disposal. In fact, it’s best to avoid chemical drain cleaners, such as Draino, to “clear out” your disposal, as these intense chemical agents can damage parts of the appliance. Instead, follow the steps below to clean your garbage disposal with staples you likely already have in the kitchen.

Step 1: Declutter the Disposal

If you see, or suspect, there are larger food pieces or other items lodged in the disposal, grab a pair of tongs of pliers and a flashlight. It might be helpful to have another set of hands present to direct the flashlight as needed while you extract the stuck debris with tongs or pliers.

From the Editor

You may wish to cut the power to your disposal before executing this step. Although you should not put your hands into the disposal, turning the power off can provide peace of mind and eliminate any chance of an accident.

Step 2: Flush It Out

Place a sink stopper in the drain, covering the disposal, and fill the sink at least halfway with hot water. As the sink is filling, add a generous squeeze of concentrated dish soap to the water, stirring with a long-handled spatula or spoon to disperse. Next, remove the stopper and allow the soapy water to drain, flushing the disposal in the process. The hot, soapy water will cut through oil and grease build-up.

Step 3: Ice It

The easiest way to effectively “scrub” the grinding chamber is to fill the disposal with ice and allow it to run. Add 1-2 cups of ice and ½ cup of baking soda into the disposal; turn on the disposal and the tap’s cold water, allowing the disposal to crush the ice. This provides just enough abrasion to scrape away any build-up without damaging the disposal.

If you’ve planned ahead, incorporating a handful of citrus peels (frozen citrus peels are even better) along with the ice and baking soda provides an extra boost of cleansing power. The citrus oil in the peels helps break down gunk and provides a pleasant scent.

Step 4: Scrub the Splash Guard

The rubber splash guard that serves as the gateway to your garbage disposal is often the primary source of stink, as sludge (and bacteria) tends to build up on the underside. So, even if you don’t give the splash guard a thorough cleaning every time you cleanse the rest of the disposal, you should plan to do so with every other cleaning.

You’ll need a small scrub brush or unwanted toothbrush and a container of hot, soapy water (again, using concentrated dish soap) to execute this step. If desired, you should also grab a pair of rubber gloves.

If your disposal has a removable splash guard, you can take it from the drain and submerge it directly into the container of soapy water, scrubbing both sides with your brush. Once all of the guard’s flaps are fully scrubbed clean, rinse the whole piece under running water and return it to the drain. If your splash guard is not removable, thoroughly scrub the top, outward-facing side with your brush and the hot soapy water; rinse with clean water. Next, lift each flap and scrub the undersides, one at a time.

Read the original article on All Recipes.